Creating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood Education

Early childhood is the ideal time to emphasize the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion. Helping young students recognize the differences in genders, identities, cultural backgrounds or physical abilities will help them become more considerate citizens and address injustice and discrimination as they grow.

Fostering a culture that promotes equity and inclusion requires an active approach by educators. Teachers should strive to create diverse learning environments that encourage positive discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion. With in-depth coursework in Northwest Missouri State University’s online Master of Science in Education (MSEd.) in Early Childhood Education program, teachers and school leaders can develop the culturally responsive teaching practices needed to elevate diversity, equity and inclusion in their classrooms.

The Importance of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in Early Childhood Education

There is a common misconception that avoiding conversations about cultural or physical differences will prevent children from forming negative ideas about those differences. However, even infant-aged children can begin subconsciously differentiating people according to race and gender. Young children also develop social preferences early on, often preferencing people with self-similar characteristics. This can lead to the development of “in-group” preferences and, potentially, negative biases toward others that children perceive as “out-group.”

Due to children’s hyper-observant and social nature, teachers must acknowledge diversity in the classroom. Failing to do so can exacerbate the prejudice and stereotypes that children may absorb from societal influence. Rather than remain silent, teachers should encourage children to ask questions and have discussions about the different cultures, races, genders or ethnicities they encounter in the classroom.

Using the Reggio Emilia Approach to Incorporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Goals

Teachers searching for an effective way to incorporate conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion into their classrooms can benefit greatly from the Reggio Emilia Approach — a tenet of Northwest’s online MSEd. in Early Childhood Education. According to a Scholastic article on approaches to preschool education, “The primary goal of this method is to create learning conditions that help children develop these abilities through exposure to all matter of expressive, communicative, and cognitive experiences.”

By using the following four major principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach, teachers can organically introduce positive discussions about diversity:

1. Emergent curriculum: Student interest dictates topics of discussion.
2. In-depth projects: Students investigate and research their primary areas of interest.
3. Representational development: Educators present new concepts through varied and diverse mediums such as art, music and print.
4. Collaboration: Teachers promote cognitive development through collaborations in which each child’s voice or ideas carry equal weight within a group.

Strategies Teachers Can Use to Promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Educational materials, the physical learning space and educators’ attitudes play pivotal roles in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in early childhood education spaces. These three aspects must function together to create an inclusive environment in which people recognize and value human differences. Numerous sources such as wide-ranging articles from Zero to Three and Romper offer valuable suggestions to consider when incorporating cultural diversity into learning environments for young children. The following are a few practical areas in which teachers can make an important impact:

Physical or Material Environments

• Books, art and videos in the classroom should feature diverse representations of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and physical abilities.
• Educators should display students’ artwork, especially that which reflects their own cultural or ethnic background.
• Content should avoid depictions of harmful stereotypes.

Toys, Play and Celebrations

• Dolls should represent all major cultures and ethnicities.
• Toys or dolls should represent gender diversity (including various styles of clothes).
• Crayons and other crafting materials should include a diverse array of skin tone colors.
• Snacks, holidays and celebrations should reflect the different racial or ethnic groups present in the classroom.

Interactions and Attitudes

• Educators should respond to behaviors uniformly across all genders, races and ethnicities.
• Teachers should give unbiased answers to questions about gender, race, ethnicity and physical ability.
• Teachers should acknowledge, not ignore, cultural diversity.
• School staff should appreciate the differences and similarities between students of different races, ethnicities, genders and physical abilities.
• Teachers should regularly challenge their own beliefs and opinions regarding diversity, inclusion and equity.

Avoiding the perpetuation of stereotypes and misconceptions in the classroom is no easy feat, as every individual has unconscious biases and preconceived notions. Yet, employers and school districts can help educators build inclusive environments through sensitivity training and unconscious bias seminars and workshops.

Fostering an appreciation for diversity, equity and inclusion should be a primary goal for early childhood educators. Should teachers not embrace this responsibility, students may never learn to value individuals who are different from themselves. However, an advanced degree in early childhood education, can help teachers become leaders in the fight for greater diversity and inclusion.

Learn more about Northwest’s online MSEd. in Early Childhood Education program.